Protective carrying device



Aug. 15, 1967 P. w. SIMMS 3,335,828

PROTECTIVE CARRYING DEVICE Filed June 2, .1966

INVENTOR PHIL/P W. SIMMS' ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,335,828PROTECTIVE CARRYING DEVICE Philip W. Simms, 450 W. 24th St., New York,N.Y. 10011 Filed June 2, 1966, Ser. No. 554,889 Claims. (Cl. 190-57)This invention relates to handle and carrying devices and particularlyto such devices adapted to be permanently or temporarily aifixed toluggage, merchandise, packages, and the like.

When an article such as one of the above-mentioned having conventionalhand gripping means is carried on a public conveyance or in a publicplace, it is readily set aside and then, unless given special attention,is just as readily forgotten and left behind, usually without hope ofretrieval. A traveler, perhaps loosely gripping luggage not habituallycarried, and diverted by other matters, is particularly prone to suchloss. Constant attention to ones belongings is usually impossible; yetan ever present reminder of a handbag, briefcase, or other items, wouldfrequently prevent serious and permanent loss. In addition, if such areminder could be so adjusted as to render impossible the separation ofthe bearer and his accompanying property, complete peace of mindregarding its safe keeping would be assured.

One arrangement for achieving such assurance is of course, Well known.The simple expedient of leashing the carried article, say, to the wrist,positively insures against any loss. This arrangement, however, isinconvenient, not readily disengaged, and may hardly be worth theeffort,

particularly when the item carried is of relatively low cost. In anycase, the necessity of making a conscious effort to secure such anarrangement would in many cases discourage its use.

An object of this invention is a new and improved carrying handle forluggage, merchandise, packages, and the like, which provides a constantreminder to the bearer of the presence of a carried article.

It is also an object of this invention to provide a simple, readilyfabricated carrying handle which insures a constant and positive gripthereon by the bearer.

Another object of this invention is an economical and dispensablecarrying handle which provides a constant firm grip and at the same timepermits instant disengagement.

Still another object of this invention is an improved carrying handlefor luggage, bundles, and the like, which prevents the inadvertentdisengagement of the bearers handgrip thereon.

The foregoing and other objects of this invention are realized in onespecific embodiment thereof comprising as one of its elements, ahandgrip of more or less conventional design in that it is adapted to beseized and gripped by the clasped hand of the bearer carrying the itemto which the handgrip is attached. The carried item such as a handbag,for example, is suspended beneath,,

and connected to, the handgrip by a pair of end supports, also in aknown fashion. In accordance with one feature of this invention, aspring-mounted pressure plate or platform is arranged between the twoend supports and beneath the handgrip, which plate is adapted to apply acontinuous pressure against the finger backs of the hand grasping thehandgrip. The spring pressure is normally insuflicient to prevent readyinsertion or withdrawal of the hand yet provides a constant physicalreminder of the presence of the carried property.

Another feature of this invention provides for the adjustment of thepressure plate after the hand has clasped the handgrip so that it cannotbe withdrawn, or optionally, can be withdrawn only with effort. Positiveassurance against loss of the carried property is thus achieved. A noveland highly useful movement is presented by the handgrip of thisinvention, one which may be realized in a permanent constructionintegral with an item of luggage, for example, or in a dispensablehandle readily affixed to a package or bundle. In the latter case, ahandle according to this invention takes the form of the familiarwire-mounted handgrip furnished by many shops and department stores tobe aflixed to the bindings of a package. In accordance with thisinvention a second handgrip is arranged beneath the first and rotatablymounted on extensions of the wire mounting. As the hand clasps theuppermost handgrip, the lower grip applies a constant pressure againstthe finger backs.

The handle arrangement of this invention together with its objects andfeatures will be better understood from a consideration of the detaileddescriptions of specific embodiments thereof which follow when taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a three-quarter view of one illustrative handle arrangementaccording to the principles of this invention depicting one specificmeans for providing spring bias, portions of the elements being brokenaway to show their relationships, the handle further being showndetached from the luggage or other property with which it iscontemplated for use;

FIG. 2 is a sketch representing the manner in which the arrangement ofeither FIG. 1 or FIG. 3 may be used to safeguard against loss, anillustrative handbag to which it is indicated as affixed;

FIG. 3 is a three-quarter view of another illustrative handlearrangement of this invention depicting an alternate means for providingspring bias, the handle also being shown alone and with broken-awayportions for clarity; and

FIG. 4 depicts still another illustrative handle arrangement accordingto this invention which may be readily affixed to bundles, packages, andthe like, and which, after use, may be discarded.

One specific handle arrangement of this invention is depicted inFIG. 1and comprises a handgrip 10 formed in a conventional inverted U shape toprovide at the ends a pair of supports 11, only one of which is visiblein FIG. 1. The end supports 11 are bent outwardly to present at each enda mounting lug 12 having holes 13 to facilitate afiixing the handle tothe object, such as an item of luggage, to be carried. The entireelement so far described may conveniently be enclosed in a padded casing14 of a suitable material aifording a positive and comfortable handgrip,such as plastic, leather and like, and so far the handle arrangement ofFIG. 1 coincides well with known prior art. The casing =14 is partiallybroken away to disclose construction details and is also understood toenclose one of the lugs 12 not visible in the drawing.

In accordance with this invention, the end supports 11 each has openedtherein a slot 15 through which are passed extensions 16 of a pressureplate 17. The plate 17 and the slots 15 are dimensioned relative to eachother so that the extensions 16 are freely movable up and down.

3 In the embodiment of FIG. 1 the plate 17 is shown as having affixed tothe upper surface thereof in any suitable manner a cushion 18 which mayalso be of a material and/ or padding not uncomfortable or abrasive tothe human hand. Alternately, the plate 17 may simply be convexly formed,and it, or the alternate cushion 18, may be fluted to assure a positivecontact with the human hand in the manner to be described. The plate 17and its cushion 18 is shown as broken away in a portion thereof toreveal other details of the handle assembly beneath.

The plate 17 extensions 16, after passing at each end of the handlearrangement through the slots are supported by coil springs 19 on thelugs 12. One of the springs 19 is again hidden by the casing 14. Thesprings.

19 may be afiixed to the extensions 16 and lugs 12 in any convenientmanner and advantageously may include guide means not shown, to controlthe lateral travel of the pressure plate 17. The handle arrangement ofthis invention thus described may at this point be placed in service torealize a number of its advantages. Thus, assuming the handlearrangement of FIG. 1 is afiixed to a handbag 20 as suggested in FIG. 2,the fingers of the bearers hand 21, depicted in broken-linerepresentation, are passed between the handgrip '10 (or if the grip 10is provided with a casing 14, then the latter) and the cushion 18 of thepressure plate 17. The springs 19 and the dimensions of the slots 15 areadjusted to compensate for variations in the size of the human hand sothat the cushion 18 maintains a constant and positive pressure againstthe backs of the fingers of the person carrying the bag 20. Thecompression of the springs 19 may be adjusted during the fabrication ofthe handle of FIG. 1 so that the finger pressure is gentle or, in theother extreme, so that the fingers must be forced through the openingdefined by the handgrip 1t and pressure plate cushion 18. In the lattercase the fingers may not be readily withdrawn without effort. It will beappreciated that the amount of pressure exerted by the springs 19 willdepend upon the degree of assurance demanded by the bearer of the itemto which the handle is affixed.

It is evident from the above description of one specific embodiment ofthis invention that the pressure plate 17, in urging its cushion 18against the finger backs of the bearer, provides a constant reminder ofthe presence of the handbag. In due course, this finger-back pressure,in any degree determined during the handle construction, will becomefamiliar and habitual, and its absence will constitute an instant signalto alert the bearer that the hand no longer grips the handbag. Shouldthe handbag or other luggage be only infrequently carried, the remindergenerating facility of the novel pressure plate is the same. Its absenceagain will be instantly noted, its unfamiliarity this time inviting thebearers constant attention. This invention manifestly provides a highlyuseful and novel safeguard for luggage, packages, and the like, yet .atthe same time is conveniently readily disengaged, and always present.

Another feature of this invention makes possible an adjustment of thepressure plate 17 and its cushion 18, in one extreme, to the point wherethe bearers fingers can not be withdrawn. A threaded stud is centrallyafiixed on a base plate 26 in any suitable manner to extend upwardtoward the underside of the pressure plate 17 Mounted on the threadedstud 25 is a knurled finger-wheel 27, the upper surface of which may beturned into contact with the underside of the pressure plate 17. Withthe bearers fingers inserted between the latter plate and the handgrip10, the finger-wheel 27 may be turned upward on the stud 25 bearingagainst the plate 17, until the fingers are tightly clamped. Thisoperation may be accomplished at the option of the bearer when thesecurity of the carried item must be absolutely insured. Disengagementof the fingers then requires the conscious and positive action ofretracting the finger wheel 27 from the pressure plate 17 to relieve thepressure. It will be understood that the pIOVlSlOIl of Cir the baseplate 26 is only intended to comprise a possible construction. The stud25 could, for example, be affixed directly to the luggage or handbag. Ifthe base plate 2.6 is provided, it may also be provided with holes tocoincide with the holes 13 of the lugs 12 to facilitate the mounting ofthe handle. Such holes are indicated in FIG. 1 on the base plate 26which is shown in a slightly exploded view with the body of the handle.

Although a handle arrangement according to this invention provides aconstant reminder to the bearer, occasions may arise in which itsadvantages are not required or must be dispensed with. For suchoccasions, provision is made to latch the pressure plate 17 clear of thebearers fingers against the springs 19. A male snap plug 28 is centrallyaffixed to the underside of the pressure plate 17 and extendingdownwardly therefrom. The plug 28 is adapted, in a well-known manner, toengage a drilled female member 29 which may conveniently comprise theend of the stud 25, or the female member 29 may be affixed to, or may beintegral with, the upper surface of the luggage, or other item withwhich the handle arrangement is associated. With the pressure plate 17latched clear by the seating of the snap plug 28, the handle of thisinvention is employed conventionally without the slightest disadvantageor inconvenience as compared to known handle arrangements.

It will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the mechanical meansfor achieving the upward biasing of the pressure plate 17 and itslateral guidance relative to the end supports 11 may take other formsthan those illustrated in FIG. 1 within the scope of this invention.FIG. 3 shows an alternate arrangement for achieving the spring bias forthe pressure plate 17 also partially broken away to disclose itsdetails. The embodiment of FIG. 3 is identical in every respect to thehandle of FIG. 1 with the exception of the spring arrangement.Accordingly the same reference characters are employed Where convenlentto indicate identical elements. Instead of coil springs supporting theextensions 16 of the plate 17, the embodiment of FIG. 3 employs a singleleaf spring 30. The spring 30 is centrally affixed to the underside ofthe plate 17 in any suitable fashion such as by riveting not shown inthe drawing. The leaf spring 30 is symmetrically curved downward fromits central mounting point to flare again upward at each end to form apair of skids 31. The spring skids 31 bear on the upper surface of thebase plate 26 and, as the pressure plate 17 is depressed by theinsertion of the bearers fingers, are adapted to slide outwardly thereonin the direction of the end supports 11 on each side.

The use of the spring means 30 instead of the coil springs 19 in thehandle arrangement of this invention dispenses with the protrusionbeyond the end supports 11 of the pressure plate extensions 16. Thelatter need now only extend far enough to provide guidance in the slots15 for the free movement of the pressure plate 17. An arrangement can,in fact, be envisioned in which the extensions 16 are dispensed withaltogether in the embodiment of FIG. 3. By providing vertical guiderails on the inner surfaces of the end supports 11 the shortened ends ofthe plate 17 are readily limited in their lateral travel. Such guiderail means could be realized, for example, by a vertical creasing of theend supports 11 and a corresponding adaptation to this cross section ofthe ends of the plate 17. Other guide means and spring bias arrangementwill present themselves to one skilled in the art within the scope ofthis invention.

Another and particularly useful embodiment of this invention is depictedin FIG. 4. A universally recognized convenience generally offeredwithout charge to a shop per by shops and department stores is the wiremounted dispensable carrying handle. These handles are adapted to bereadily engaged with the twine or other binding of a shoppers package byhooks formed in the wire handle ends. After use these handles, becauseof their low cost and availability, are discarded. Notwithstanding theirutility and convenience, these handles in their known forms offer thebearer of the package no more assurance against inadvertent loss thanthe more expensive and permanent conventional handles. This assurance isadvantageously made available in the specific embodiment of thisinvention depicted in FIG. 4. The handle arrange ment there depictedcomprises a continuous wire means 40 formed initially into an inverted Ushape to present a grip portion 40a and two end support portions 40b and400. The wire means 40, after the support portions at each end, isdoubled and turned upwardly to form a pair of hooks 41. The ends of thewire means 40 then continue and separate from the end portions 40b and40c, finally being bent to form two opposing spindles 42a and 42bextending substantially parallel to the grip portion 40a.

The wire means 40 may be fabricated of any suitable metal or othermaterial which provides sufiicient sitfiness and some spring flexibilityto operate in the manner to be described. Loosely mounted to permit freerotation on the grip portion 40a is a roller 43 of a character wellknown in the art for affording a comfortable handgrip. A second roller44, which may be identical to the roller 43, is also freely androtatably mounted on the spindles 42a and 42b. The rollers 43 and 44 maybe fabricated of any convenient, inexpensive material such as wood,plastic, paper, and the like. In the use of the handle arrangement ofFIG. 4, it is convenient that the end support portions 40b and 40c aremaintained in the same plane as the spindles 42a and 42b. To assure thisalignment the doubled wire means 40 may be spot welded or glued at thepoints 45 beyond the hooks 41. The opening between the rollers 43 and 44may bedetermined just narrower than the thickness of the average humanhand so that as the hand is inserted between the rollers, the lowerroller 44 is depressed against the spring pressure provided by thespindles 42a and 42b and their extensions to the juncture points 45.

The handle arrangement of FIG. 4 is adapted in the well-known fashion tobe engaged by means of the hooks 41 to the binding of the package orbundle to be carried. The fingers of the bearers hand are readilyinserted between the rollers 43 and 44 as the wire means 40 gives way atthe spindles 42a and 42b, the rollers 43 and 44 rotating as the fingersare admitted. The spindles 42a and 42b and their connecting portions ofthe wire means 40 may be slightly curved to facilitate their entryfurther into the roller 44 as the latter is depressed rather than thestraight and angled configuration shown in the drawing. The springpressure of the spindles 42a and 42b urges the lower roller 44 againstthe backs of the bearers fingers thereby providing a constant reminderof the carried package. The rotatable rollers 43 and 44 also permitready withdrawal of the fingers. The extremely low cost at which thehandle arrangement of FIG. 4 may be fabricated, also permits it to bediscarded after use. Since discardable handles are frequently employedas advertising media, the additional roller provides added space forsales messages at little extra cost of manufacture.

A novel and highly useful handle arrangement which provides an effectiveprotection against loss of a carried item, is presented by thisinvention. Although what have been described are considered to beillustrative embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood thatvarious and numerous other arrangements and modifications may be devisedby one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention as defined by the appended claims. The handle arrangementof this invention may also find other applications and may be practicedin contexts other than those specifically mentioned hereinbefore. Forexample, this invention may also comprise a useful safeguard against theloss or inadvertent misplacement of umbrellas, fishing tackle, canes,and the like. The structure in practice incorporating the principles ofthis invention to such items are readily envisioned by one skilled inthe art. In any application a simple embodiment of this invention mayalso provide a clamping pressure for less than all of the fingers of thehand clasping the handle. A one finger arrangement in certain carryingcontexts could prove advantageous.

What is claimed is:

1. A handle device comprising a handgrip, a pressure plate disposedsubstantially parallel to said handgrip, and spring means biasing saidpressure plate toward said hand grip.

2. A handle device as claimed in claim 1 also comprising an end supportfor each end of said handgrip, each of said supports having a slottherein, said pressure plate having extensions at each end through saidslots and being freely movable therein, said spring means comprising acoil spring urging against each of said extensions.

3. A handle device as claimed in claim 1 also comprising a base plate,said spring means comprising a substantially semi-elliptic fiat springaffixed to said pressure plate and adapted slidably to engage said baseplate.

4. A handle device comprising a pair of substantially parallel members,a first of said members adapted to be clasped by hand, the other of saidmembers adapted to engage the back of said hand, and spring means forbiasing said other member toward said first member.

5. A handle device comprising a pair of substantially parallel members,a first of said members adapted to be clasped by hand, the other of saidmembers adapted to engage the back of at least one finger of said hand,and means for urging said other member against said fingerback.

6. A handle arrangement adapted to be affixed to luggage, containers,packages, and the like, comprising a handgrip, end supports for saidhandgrip, pressure plate means adapted to be freely movable between saidend supports, and means for biasing said pressure plate means towardsaid handgrip.

7. A handle arrangement adapted to be affixed to luggage, containers,packages, and the like, comprising a pair of substantially parallelmembers, said members being spaced apart to define therebetween anaperture smaller than the thickness of a hand, and spring meanssupporting one of said members adapted to give way sufiiciently toincrease said aperture to admit said hand.

8. A handle device comprising a continuous support means formed topresent a handgrip section, a pair of end sections, a pair of hooksections, and a pair of opposing terminal sections substantiallyparallel to said handgrip section, and a first and a second roller meansrotatably mounted on said handgrip section and said opposing terminalsections, respectively, said first and second roller means definingtherebetween an aperture smaller than the thickness of a hand, saidcontinuous support means being flexible to permit enlargement of saidaperture.

9. A handle device adapted to be aifixed to a carried item comprising ahandgrip, a pressure plate means substantially parallel to saidhandgrip, spring means for biasing said pressure plate means toward saidhandgrip, base means, and latching means for latching said pressureplate to said base means.

10. A handle device as claimed in claim 9 in which said base meanscomprises the upper surface of said item to be carried.

11. A handle device as claimed in claim 9 in which said latching meanscomprises a. male plug means affixed to said pressure plate and a femalereceptacle means adapted to engage and retain said plug means.

12. A handle device comprising a pair of substantially parallel members,a first of said members adapted to be clasped by hand, the other of saidmembers adapted to engage at least the back of one finger of said hand,spring means for biasing said other member toward said first member, andadjustable clamping means operable against said other of said members toclamp said finger.

15. A handle device as claimed in claim 14 in Whichsaid latching meanscomprises a male plug means aflixed to said other of said member and afemale receptacle means formed in the end of said stud means adapted toengage and retain said plug means.

No references cited.

FRANKLIN T. GARRETT, Primary Examiner.

1. A HANDLE DEVICE COMPRISING A HANDGRIP, A PRESSURE PLATE DISPOSEDSUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID HANDGRIP, AND SPRING MEANS BIASING SAIDPRESSURE PLATE TOWARD SAID HAND GRIP.